(L​-R) Artiom Damkovsky & Mansour Barnaoui

ST. PETERSBURG, ລັດ​ເຊຍ (ເດືອນ​ທັນ​ວາ 29, 2015) — M -1 ທ້າຫມູ່ຫຼິ້ນແຊ້ມ້ໍາຫນັກເບົາ Mansour “Tarzan” Barnaoui will make his first title defense, ກຸມ​ພາ 19 at Olympic Stadium, ຕໍ່ Artiom Damkovsky ຢູ່​ໃນ M​-1 ທ້າ​ຫມູ່​ຫຼິ້ນ 64 ໃນ Moscow, ລັດ​ເຊຍ.

In a previously announced title fight, newly M-1 Global-signed Alexander “Drago” Volkov (24-6-0, M​-1: 8-3-0), ຂອງ​ລັດ​ເຊຍ, takes on Estonian challenger Denis Smoldaraev (11-1-0, M​-1: 7-1-0) for the vacant M-1 Challenge heavyweight championship.

Barnaoui (12-3-0, M​-1: 2-2-0), ການ​ຕໍ່​ສູ້​ຂອງ​ປາ, will be making his first title defense against a dangerous challenger. After defeating previously undefeated Maxim Divnich(10-0-0) (see picture below) by way of a first-round stoppage via punches, ພຶດ​ສະ​ພາ 2, 2015 ຢູ່​ໃນM​-1 ທ້າ​ຫມູ່​ຫຼິ້ນ 57, Barnaoui dropped down in weight and he unsuccessfully challenged M-1 Challenge featherweight champion Ivan Buchinger this past October by five-round decision at M​-1 ທ້າ​ຫມູ່​ຫຼິ້ນ 57.

Belarus-native Damkovsky (20-9-0, M​-1: 10-6-0), shown below on mat, is riding a four-fight win streak to become the top contender going into his title fight showdown with Barnaoui.